Photographer creates time-lapse showing D600 'dust' accumulation

Canadian photographer Kyle Clemens just bought a Nikon D600, but rather than get straight out and start shooting with it, he decided to investigate the widely-reported claims of a 'dust problem'. Clements set his D600 up with a fixed 50mm F1.8 lens, pointed it at a white wall, and shot 1000 images. Then he created a timelapse video which shows the slow accumulation of debris on the camera's sensor. Although the exposure of the individual frames isn't uniform, Clements' video clearly shows a steady buildup of debris over the course of shooting the 1000 frames.

When we reviewed the D600 we expressed concern about the propensity of its sensor to gather specks of debris, and Clements reinforces the troubling possibility that whatever it is that's ending up on the D600's sensor could be coming from inside the camera.

During our own testing, we got our D600's sensor professionally cleaned by a local rental house, who had to resort to a full, 'wet' clean to remove all of the debris that had accumulated during less than a month of shooting. We have repeatedly asked Nikon for a statement on our findings and we will continue to report on this issue.

Comments

Hi there...first post...I bought two D600's, upgrade from 700's for assignment in Canadian north, tested the cameras>100 shots, did not look for spots, did not know, went north and after the first hour of a 4 day assignment, I noticed crap in the sky....built up over the 4 days, returned cameras for a full refund>spots noticable in landscape photos only....two days cloning....Nikon has a crap camera with the 600 and most pros, do not want the overkill sensor size of the 800....I have used Nikon for 40 years>time to recall this dog of a camera....

OK, I have a D600 and know many other people who do as well. I pre-ordered mine and it got it the 2nd day it was available. I have had no dust or oil on my sensor. I've shot in the snow, dusty indoor locations like warehouses, used smoke and fog machines indoors and outdoors, and have even shot and switched lenses on the beach. To date I have had no issues whatsoever. Nor has it been a problem for any other D600 owners I know.

If you do have an issue, buy a sensor swab, swab the sensor and your problems are gone.

Omg -it's astonishing that Nikon users just accept this shoddy treatment wherein a 'supposedly' reputable company stubbornly refuses to acknowledge an issue about which they cannot possibly be unaware and which is affecting the professional and financial well being of their customers. And this is not taking into account the time and energy spent in getting the problem repaired! I do Not own this camera but in speaking with a former Nikon technician, I learned that this denial mode is not a surprising response on their part. Why these customers who are being lied to ( ie Nikon knows nothing about the D600 dust problem but just coincidentally are now offering rebates and extras to the tune of up to $900.!! ) don't get together and contact the Better Business Bureau and attempt or threaten a class action law suit is beyond me. Or is this just normal company practice when consumers are spending thousands of dollars ?

It seems to me to be a real shame that there is so much sniping at each other on these posts, when most users are just trying to get information, or make sense of an issue.I really thought that the D600 was the ideal camera for me, having been a 4/3 SLR user for the last 10 years, and now believing that it's headed down a blind alley, decided to upsize to FFAnyway, I sold off most of my gear and was about to buy a D600 when the "dust issue" came to the fore. I emailed Nikon with my concerns, but not un-expectedly had no reply.I then considered a 5Dmk3 at £1000 more, but discovered that that has problems with focus and light ingress too.Really between a rock and a hard place now, just left with my old E510 and one lens, which incidentally has never been cleaned and doesn't have a speck of dust.I've never been a Nikon fan, but was really prepared to give one a go, Nikon must be losing many potential customers / converts over this issue. The sooner they sort it the better for all.

I totally understand your concerns. I wish i had waited myself before buying it, but got stung with the dust/oil issue (and a bad sensor too that had data corruption) .

Anyway. i fought with Nikon for about 2 weeks, and just like you they ignored any specific questions as if reading from a legal script. They really had no interest helping me understand the situation better.

They repeatedly would respond to just about any question stupidly "send it in and we will take a look".

I had my issue escalated to the supervisor who said the same thing.. They couldnt' even assure me my cameara would be fixed and the problem solved.

I've had it back a few days now, and haven't taken many photos, but on the plus side they did fix my corrupt sensor issue, and dust wise it's spotless... and hasn't came back yet.

It seems they are just hush hush, but they do seem to know how to fix it. Of course all at your expense.

What he should do is clean the sensor and then do another run of 1000 frames. I'll bet most of the junk would be gone by then.

I had debris accumulate on the sensor of my D600 but after I cleaned it, it has remained clean for quite some time. Anytime I notice something, a quick blow with a blower bulb gets it right off. I love my D600.

Snapsort recommends D600 ($2k) over Canon 1Dx($6.8k) (see: http://snapsort.com/compare/Canon-1D-X-vs-Nikon-D600)I guess for $4.8k I can live with this little problem which most likely will disappear after the initial "break-in" period. I will do a wet clean after about 3000 clicks and see how it goes after that.

It discusses a serious issue.Why not put pictures to confirm? Where the facts and evidence? Where photographs allegedly cleaner after 2000 or 3000 the shutter? I do not believe it.It would be more productive. Otherwise, empty chatter.I would note that this problem is each manufacturer. Just respect Nikon no luck in this case.

My personal experience with the D600 is that there is an obvious drop-off of oil/dust on the sensor as the number of exposures increases. There were noticeable spots on some images (typically in that upper left corner that has been reported) that slowly increased as the shutter-count went up. I cleaned the sensor at about 2,000 exposures and found very little oil/dust spots after that. I cleaned the sensor again at around 3,500 exposures and have seen nothing other than the random dust one always gets from field shooting/lens changing. At this point I probably won't send my D600 in to Nikon, even if they make the offer to repair it under the heading, "If it aint broke don't fix it."

Nikon US does not recognize an issue as of last week. I have to wonder if there is veracity in an EU D600 post citing the mirror box, not the shutter, as the source of oil droplets per Nikon Service.

The issue sure smacks of the numerical processor flaw denied by Intel for weeks and weeks. While the issue per postings seems self-limiting with enough clicks and wet cleanings, Nikon corporate should really campaign to recall oily cameras post-paid. At the very least, the image of corporate responsibility should be important, and the offending marketing manager should be allotted a corner office with a window, per Japanese tradition.

May be off topic but Intel did not deny the processor bug, they merely stated that the "average" user will not encounter this problem over the lifetime of the product. Later they realized their blunder and rectified it by recalling all procs. ( I know this because I used to work for them when this happened) :)

I believe Nikon uses the same approach. If you have a good interaction with them and photos to prove to them that the oil splashes are more than manageable (it was my case) they asked me to send it to be fixed. Someone mentioned 2 mth ago that Nikon has a fix and seem they do have one. But why do you think any company will spend money with an official recall that might be very expensive until enough are complaining? I shall have it back next week, and the work papers shall state what was done. I will update my post.

I got the D600 back from Nikon Canada manufacture and there are is only one line in the work done: "CCD and front camera cleaned"I was very suspicious, but i gave it try and after 500 clicks i have no visible oil splashes. before i sent it i realized that it was a tiny exfoliation of the black material that covers the inside walls. Now look everything perfect. I wonder if they stripped the one pilling and re-apply a new leyer...just speculations

My one year old D7000 has expediently accumulated dust particles by 500%. One lens has been affixed from the first day of purchase and as of today I have about 6000 exposures (and no lens changeout). The sensor has been professionally cleaned 6 months into ownership. The auto sensor clearner is initiates upon startup and closure, and these foreign specks multiply. I do agree with Mr S. Cheng, Nikon needs to correct this deficiency.

And one very important piece of information would be how does the overall thickness of the filter assembly in front of the sensor in the D600 compare to that of older Nikon cameras.

As I posted below, the closer dust is to the sensor the more noticeable it will be in images. This is evidenced by people that have removed their filter assemblies as a means of removing the blurring effect of the anti aliasing filter.

"Put simply you WILL have to have your sensor professionally cleaned the expensive way every month if you lose the ultrasonic dust reduction panel, as the dust sits closer to the sensor it is far more noticeable"

Good it worked for you. I would refrain from making a strong statement such as "Don't expect any more" and mislead others.I try up to 6K and still the same problem: I have to clean it after each 100 to 200 pictures, otherwise is becoming too much post processing work.

Rather that constantly whining about it, why don't we start gathering facts?

Start a statistical site or factual data that states how many users are affected, what they did to solve the issue, how their respective service centres handled the issue and make enough noise that Nikon actually stops and takes a look at the issue because it's loud enough that they can't ignore it.

I don't have the funding but I can dedicate some of my time to working on it.

No need for all about the D600 being a catastrophic QA failure or "OMGLULZNIKONSUXXORWOLOLOLOL".

I've just moved on from my Oly E620 to the D600 and I'm going to put my D600 through the paces to see if this dust/oil issue is present on my D600. If it is, I'll go to my local Nikon SC, have a word with them and scream blue murder(in a reasonable manner) if they deny me. You can too.

Exactly. No matter how one spins it, they cannot claim their xxx DSLR does not have the same issue as Kyle's D600 unless they did the exact same test when their other camera was brand spanking new and then post processed the 1000th image the same way he did. Which was to make the dust as evident as possible. Not something those claiming their xxx DSLR doesn't produce dust from within have likely done. And even then, those with xxx DSLRs that produce lower resolution softer images than a D600 still can't claim their camera produces less dust. For that one needs to look at the OLPF under a microscope.

Just because dust is not as visible in old cameras like the D300 or D70, does not mean there isn't just as much, if not more, dust on the OLPF of those older (softer image) cameras than on the OLPF of the latest generation of cameras.

It is known that the further a dust particle of a given size is from the sensor the less of an impact (less visible) they will have in the final image. In the quest for sharper images Nikon has made improvements to their low pass filter assemblies. Including new materials that allow for thinner filters. One downside of this is that dust particles are now closer to the sensor .

Also, by Kyle's own admission, he post processed the images of his time-lapse video to make the dust look as bad as possible. So unless one has done the same on the images from their older cameras, it is not apples to apples. Especially consider they are starting with softer lower resolution images in the first place.

FYI, it was indeed REDONE but what you NOT saying is the test result is the same.........dust all over again, in the same spot. Dust, shutter vibrations, soft AF, leaking oil.....and on and on. No wonder there are so many Nikon cadavers dumping in eBay and at Nikon refurbish web site.

Really, you have taken 1000 shots with your trusty D300 of a plain white wall without ever once turning it off, changing the lens, or removing it from a tripod? I'm not sure how normal daily use of your trusty D300 can be considered comparable to the test done on just that one D600 in the time-lapse video.

I'm not saying there may not be a unique dust issue with the D600, I just don't think it is an" end of the world" "can't be fixed since the dust is coming from inside" "this has never happened on any other camera before" issue.

So, how many "hot pixels" do you typically find in the images from your trusty D300???

I was ready to upgrade from my trusty D300 which has never had an issue of dust on the sensor. However, even for an affordable full-framer at $2K I'm not going to accept an already identified issue with rapid build up of foreign objects on the sensor. I just saved A LOT of $$ until this issue is addressed. I was also going to purcahse all new full-frame lenses.

con't(1) Internal mechanisms that generate as little dust as possible in operation. The shutter unit and all moving parts are designed to minimize dust generation, and are operated adequately before mounting within the camera so that they do not disperse dust following camera assembly. The mechanisms are then operated again after assembly to further ensure that they do not generate dust. (2) Dust doesn't easily adhere to internal surfaces. Anti-static finishing is used around the image sensor and optical low-pass filter (OLPF), while surrounding areas are specially treated such that dirt particles adhere to them easily. In addition, the space between the OLPF and image sensor is sealed to prevent dust particles from entering the assembly. (3) Dust doesn't easily appear in images. Enough distance is left between the OLPF and image sensor that dust is less likely to affect the final image.

Ok newbies and novices that are in shock and disbelief that dust could be generated from within a device with moving parts. Nikon is well aware of this fact. As are all other camera manufacturers.

Taken from the very old (by DSLR standards) Nikon D300 microsite.

Nikon D300 Integrated Dust Reduction System

Nikon goes beyond the cleaning function of the Self-cleaning Sensor Unit to implement a comprehensive system that helps reduce dust, from minimizing dust generated from within the camera through the removal process.

yeah cover up seems to be true. I've been fighting with them now for about 2 weeks. Stating simple facts, and it's gotten to the point where they are ignoring me now.. Failing to respond to me at all.

This is after i mentioned and read of someone calling in and getting a Nikon tech, who claims Nikon DOES know of the dust/oil issue, and they do haev a fix. Apparently it was even claimed that nikon knows it's due to paint flaking off something in the mirror box, and if you send your camera in to get "cleaned" they also fix this issue.

I think that's why Nikons statement so far as been "send it in and we will clean it" ... and nothing else.. They just appear to secretly fix it as part of a "sensor cleaning" ... hiding that there is a wide spread issue.

Like i said, they stopped talking with me. Completely unprofessional. They even deleted three of my negative (but otherwise not rude, or inaccurate) reviews off nikon.com for the D600..

Update: I have a nikon supervisor now reviewing my my full case and dialog with their service dept. It's been escalated..

On the plus side they said my camera was fixed and sent back, although i have no idea what work they did on it, and still have no assurance they are capable of resolving the root cause of the dust/oil problem... I'll find out probably tomorrow when it comes in.

If the debris sensor issue is really resolved, and they cover the issue up, so long as it works i guess i would drop this issue..

They are also reviewing my case about deleting my reviews off their website.

"When I first put this page up in 2001, soon after the D1 came out and professionals started coming to me asking what those black spots they kept seeing in their images were, it had much different advice on it, including my infamous Wendy's knife trick, which has now been morphed by others into Rubbermaid and Michael's variants, and was copied by at least one commercial outfit without giving due credit. My original Wendy's knife suggestion was mostly tongue in cheek ("eat at Wendy's, clean your sensor"): I was trying to poke fun at Nikon's reluctance in having users even look at their sensor, let alone clean it."

"The D3 series is notorious for the shutter throwing oil, some of which eventually ends up on the filter over the sensor. When you stop all the way down oil tends to be a larger undefined gray area rather than the smaller and more defined blackness of hairs, grit and other things sitting on the filter. If you do a wet cleaning and it still looks like you have those undefined gray blobs, it's probably oil. Unfortunately, they don't come off easily. You probably should have Nikon do the cleaning, as the amount of pressure and cleaning you have to use to remove it puts your filter at risk."http://bythom.com/cleaning.htm

By Jove you're right ! Nikon's products seem to be subject to this sort of problem. Just have a look at that page that deals with spots & dust issue just as how you expose it here, it's to say up to the Wendy's knife trick: http://www.misandao.net/9.%20Photography/CleaningYourSensor.htm

I. M. Adummy recent demonstrated the structural flaws of Nikon's under priced D600. He said: “after placing only one fire cracker in the mirror chamber and remounting a 15 year old lens I was surprised at how the cheaply made D600 blew the lens across the room instead of containing the explosion.” He was interviewed in hospital while visiting a fellow fan boy injured in his conclusive demonstration. I. M. warns that all potential purchasers of the D600 should wait at least 5 years for Nikon to address the problem and for Canon to introduce a competitive body.

Canon fan boys will believe even the most ludicrous of tests to ease their camera inferiority fears. Canon makes fine cameras but, put an old dirty lens on a 5D3. Effectively disable the dust removal function. Then take 1000 exposures. Result: a dusty sensor. You fan boys are going to have to learn to live with a Nikon that costs 40% less and scores significantly higher. You can either face the truth or go delusional. Looks like many of you have chosen the latter.

I just found this website that claims dust may be due to the scratch on the Shutter Curtain. If this is the case it's a very serious problem.http://www.petapixel.com/2012/11/22/theory-nikon-d600-sensor-spots-caused-by-scratched-shutter-curtain/

After inspecting my picture of white background shot at F22, I found lots of dust spots, only visible when magnified on the left side of picture consistent with the others and the video. Still hoping an official response from Nikon.

you seem clueless as to how much more serious this problem is than just letting the sensor clean itself .. I mean if it was that simple than there would be no issue since it does that everytime you turn it on and off right?

people are talking about sensors that need to be wet cleaned every 20 photos... every 20 photos... it's a serious issue that impacts the cameras ability to take debris free photos above f8.

You actually might be clueless. My D600 (3007970) has well over 4000 exposures and hundreds of lens changes. The sensor is spotless and dustless. There might be some early bodies that exhibit the fault, but it is not endemic. You must face the fact that Nikon has produced a camera that easily outperforms the 5D3 while costing 40% less.

Take any camera. Put an old dirty lens on it. Effectively disable the dust removal function. Then take 1000 exposures. Result: a dusty sensor. So what does that prove?

I own a D600 with thousands of exposures and hundreds of lens changes. Absolutely no dust! I wonder how much dust the author introduced into the system by using an old lens that had been used on a very old camera. That is, the source of the dust was probably the 50mm lens. Secondly, would the dust from the lens have been on the mirror if the the D600 had been used in a normal manner of on/off sequences, which would actuate the automatic dust removal function?

...but shooting 500-1000 images in a row cannot be unusual if the camera is used on a wedding or some other events. So, while I agree, it is a stupid test, never the less it clearly demonstrates a problem. Also, the dust removal function would (might) not be the answer. For one, it looks like stains of some fluid, not dust, and for the two, how often should the camera be switched on/off between shots? Because you can't seriously mean that users should switch the camera off and on after every 10-20 shots, can you?

moral may bewait a year till buying one, when the issues fixed.We expect SO much perfection from the box now AND demand that 'new' model every year. Might we be better off if makers didn't produce kit until it had been properly and severly tested? Or are we just to greedy to wait.If you wanna blame someone, blame the people who are demanding new new new all the time?

I'm curious - does anyone have positive experience after getting their camera "cleaned" from Nikon warranty?

They told me that they clean the sensor and use a kit that's better than your run of the mill $100 kit... so they said.. but i quickly told them no matter how good their kit is, if the debris is coming from the mirror box or shutter or wherever, than it doesn't matter how good their cleaning kit is... (which got another typical no response from Nikon)

If people are getting back cameras that works - I'm left wondering if they are choosing to not acknowledge the issue, but actually do fix it somehow... but just not report it.. to avoid a full recall. Maybe they replace or adjust the shutter or something anyway... (more than just a wet cleaning)

I'm curious if anyone has looked at the camera before and compared to after they got it back.

If your camera begins to make bubbles, that's because the fixing device they used is a bit of chewing gum for sure.

Joke apart, if they had a clue about how to deal with the problem, they - Nikon ones - would deal with it on a vast scale and not just for one customer among hundreds who are litteraly going berzerk. That said whatever they did to your camera, I hope it will be OK for you.

Hopefully.. i've been dealing with them directly for a while now, and they're still failing to acknoledge that it's a problem.. Well.. sort of.. They've stopped telling me it's just a rumour now anyway.. But it's like talking to a wall once you back them into a corner. They sort of just ignore your questions.

I'm getting my camera back soon after getting the sensor replaced (it had corruption issues) as well as the dust/oil problem... *crosses fingers* ..

I just checked the two images on your site. These shots (d70 groot na) and also (img_0733). I put both in Paint Shop Pro 15 and made ​​a Color - Color correction with the number 45. The first picture shows two spots at the other about 10. Bands are also visible on both images. You represent that use high technology. I am ready to send both images and publish them here.

Thank you for calling their bluff, HELG, please publish them.They already removed the "original" before and after pictures from Nikon D70:http://www.chipclean.nl/component/option,com_easygallery/Itemid,36/lang,en/

What's more, their "originals" are signed by "Adobe Photoshop CS3 Macintosh".

If they had "high-tech equipment" in "conditioned spaces" I am sure they would show them.

Thanks to dpreview for helping us share information about fraudsters and ripoffs.

Of course it is swindlers. I clear my three camera sensors and I know how to check the work. But the prices of these crooks in the Netherlands do not match the work done absolutely. I just registered on the forum and do not know how to add pictures to the message. Please tell me if you know how to do.These pictures are in my hard drive.

Yes known repair shops show how they do it and what methods are used. Easy blowing dust and brush work is not removed dust. Only riskier wet. If you have mastered it then the problem is closed. Most people are afraid and panicking. And in the repair shop is the same as the person you are quite simple and uses simple motion. You are worse than him? I came across on the Internet message where the guy himself purged sensor his Leica S2! This is a hero! Probably not a sight for the faint-hearted people.

I do my wet cleaning my cameras. This is very beneficial economically.

HELG, please upload the pictures to your gallery:http://www.dpreview.com/galleries/uploadadd a description and then provide the link here.You can send me a message if you have questions or for proofreading.

Work is done . See please http://www.dpreview.com/galleries/1152664825/photos.I regret that I do not work in the police force of that city in the Netherlands. I know a few legitimate ways to teach these guys how best to clean the sensors of their customers. I think customers will be pleased.

An "interesting" video - but is the video reliable?Every time the mirror lifts it blows some air forward, creates a mini vacuum and some air gets sucked back. Then when the mirror falls the air currents get reversed.If there is dust in the mirror box or on the rear lens element or even if the lens is not airtight (the 50mm f1.8D is not and does not have a lens flange gasket) - maybe this video is not reasonable evidence the camera had a defect - especially if there was a lot of none camera body induced dust.Going further the left hand side of the video has uneven lighting - the video showing the test set up does not - if anything the light level is higher on the left - and is clearly both uneven and darker in the video.I suspect a "troll video" with less than 1 out of 10 for credibility.

I empathize with those who have actually bought the D600 with this dust problem. I would encourage folks to return those units for a replacement. Keeping a possibly defective model will affect re-sale value in the future.

I remember when I bought my first Pentax K5 upon its release. It suffered from the much-publicized oily "string of pearls" spots on the sensor. I immediately requested a replacement from Amazon even though my photographs didn't suffer. The replacement was defect-free.

Don't settle for a product with such an issue - request multiple replacements if necessary. A big retailer like Amazon will put pressure on the manufacturer if returns are an issue.

The D800 had the AF issue that turned me away. Now the D600 has the dust issue that turns me away (along with the lack of 1 button press to get 100% review), so I am down to the Canon 5D Mark III and the Sony A99 (or keeping my NEX 5N and getting an RX1). I wish Nikon had better Q.C.

A quality control issue is one where components fail due to more units being produced than the production line can cope with. This is different. It's a design issue. The D600 camera was obviously put into production too soon; Nikon were probably too keen to have it on the shelves to coincide with Photokina.

This doesn't make Nikon the arch-demon camera manufacturer. Talk of off-loading an entire set of Nikkors over this is just plain daft. What *will* however turn Nikon into the "bad guy" is if they continue to stonewall on this issue. There is still time for them to put this issue right - but not for much longer.

As an aside I recently agonised over D600/D800/5DMkIII for many months, and went with the Canon. Turned out to be a perfect decision (for me). I particularly like the build quality, AF performance and low light performance.

Probably. I would suggest to Nikon to stop selling the D600 right now and quickly redesign it in order to sell it again - perfectly designed and made that time - under the D600+ or D601 label. Anyway, the D600 brand is now a little bit too much dubious...

Held back on the D800 because of left AF issues. Now D600 looks like a lemon. So got myself an OM-D. Simply blows away my previous Nikons. Pound for pound best camera out there. Thanks to Nikon's recalcitrance I'm putting all my Nikon gear on ebay and am much better for it.

Hi. I had similar issue with D800. I am still very happy with the things this camera does, but was very surprised to find dust and several round blobs (oil spots, I guess), after just 1 month of use. There were more spots on the sensor, than any other of my digital cameras have accumulated in years, even when they have been opened, modified, and abused. 18 spots, some easily visible over sky or other uniform subjects.

Since I had been shooting at 3 second intervals for up to one hour for several days, I initially thought that I was demanding too much from the D800, but my D2x was working in parallel under the same conditions and has only 3 small spots.

Carefully cleaned it myself with Sensor Swabs and methanol (it took three swabs). I have experience in assembling critical items in a clean room, lots of work to do and no time to send it in for cleaning. I hope someday it will stop shedding particles. I will keep on checking frequently, to see how it goes.